Independent Clark MP Kristie Johnston has drawn the Premier’s attention to the Macquarie Point Development Corporation’s website, which she says is still “spruiking” the proposed Truth and Reconciliation Art Park despite the government’s plans to “whack a great big stadium in the middle of it”.
“Given they seem to be sitting in the dark, what is the role, or the point, of the Macquarie Point Development Corporation now?” she said.
“Are we taxpayers paying over $600,000 a year in executive wages and director fees for them to water the herb garden?”
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the government had “always said that a reconciliation park is very important and can coexist with our stadium investment”.
“We’ve always said from the day that we committed to a stadium at Macquarie Point, a multi-purpose entertainment and sporting venue, that a reconciliation park will be very much part of it,” he said.
In a statement issued following Question Time, Ms Johnston said the Premier had “inferred that paying for the corporation and its staff would continue”.
All the power and passion from parliament day three
There's a sweep of issues being rolled out today on the floor of the House of Assembly as tensions rise during day three in parliament. Follow for the latest updates >>
It's a big week in state parliament with the debut of minority government and the state budget on Thursday.
Follow our LIVE blog below for the latest updates.
Updates
Kristie Johnston casts doubt on plans for Mac Point Truth and Reconciliation Park
Ogilvie defends office upgrade spend after Labor criticism
Racing Minister Madeleine Ogilvie has faced sustained questioning from Labor over the cost of upgrades to her Glenorchy electorate office, which is still yet to open after her former office was flooded early last year.
In Question Time on Thursday, Deputy Labor Leader Anita Dow said the Opposition had obtained information suggesting Ms Ogilvie intended to spend $34,000 of taxpayers’ money revamping her new base, after already spending $37,000 upgrading her old office, also in Glenorchy.
“At the same time as your minority government is sending Tasmania into record debt, you’re spending huge sums upgrading your office,” Ms Dow said.
“Minister, what benefit has the public received from all of the money they’ve been forced to spend on your office upgrades?”
Ms Ogilvie, who was once a Labor MP before making the switch to the Liberal Party, said “sewer water” had flooded her original office and “came up the walls”, exposing an “asbestos problem”.
She said the required remediation work had coincided with the end of the lease.
“So I felt I was doing a good thing by the people of Glenorchy and the owner of that building, who I know personally, to allow them to do that remediation work,” she said.
“They rented that out, then, I believe, at a higher rent and were happy that work had been done.
“It meant that I was without an office for a long time. And so what I’ve done is engaged directly with the constituents of Clark out and about.”
The minister said all members of parliament were entitled to electorate offices, which were leased by the Department of Premier and Cabinet on behalf of the Crown.
“As part of the government’s commitment to transparency, the cost of establishing electorate offices is routinely disclosed, which we have done,” she said.
Ms Dow noted that Attorney-General Elise Archer had also spent an “extraordinary” $83,000 relocating her electorate office from Moonah to Sandy Bay.
“But at least her office is open,” she said.
Education, Children and Young People Minister Roger Jaensch accused Labor of excessively targeting Ms Ogilvie with their lines of questioning.
“I’m observing a pattern of behaviour here, which is designed to psychologically bully one of my colleagues – and I’m calling it out,” he said.
Environment Minister asked to declare threatened skate critically endangered
An Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies report on the future of Tasmania’s threatened maugean skate has been a focus of Question Time this morning, with Greens MP Rosalie Woodruff asking Environment Minister Roger Jaensch whether he will upgrade the status of the species to critically endangered.
A recently released report found that the ancient skate was on the brink of extinction and urgent action was needed to save it from oblivion.
There have been reports that federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek is set to write an urgent letter to Mr Jaensch urging “extreme intervention” to prevent the species from going extinct.
Dr Woodruff asked Mr Jaensch whether he would order the removal of fish farms from Macquarie Harbour, where the last vestige of the maugean skate population resides.
“Or will you just keep monitoring [the species] into extinction?” she said.
Mr Jaensch said the government had last updated a listing statement for the skate “late last year” and was in the process of developing a conservation action plan in collaboration with the federal government.
He said aquaculture was not the sole cause of the decline of the maugean skate population and that recreational gill-netting, commercial fishing, hydro in-flows and “a range of other matters” were also factors.
“There are many, many factors affecting the survivability of this species,” he said.
Greens' calls to end native forest logging
Greens leader Cassy O’Connor wants Premier Jeremy Rockliff to follow the lead of the Victorian and Western Australian governments and end native forest logging in Tasmania.
“Western Australia and Victoria are ending native forest logging just as New Zealand has. Your government is considering a mendicant , heavily subsidised industry proposal to get into the future reserve forests set aside a decade ago for their high conservation value,” Ms O’Connor said.
“Do you want to be the Premier who not only restarts the forest wars but is responsible for accelerating the extinction of species like the swift parrot, masked owl and the Tasmanian devil?”
Mr Rockliff flatly refused to bring native forest logging to a halt.
“We will always be a government that supports industry and sustainable industries,” he said.
Day 3: Question time kicks off
Opposition Leader Rebecca White has kicked off Question Time by asking Premier Jeremy Rockliff to explain his government’s calls for Victorian businesses to relocate to Tasmania to take advantage of a “pro-business environment”.
Ms White said a recent report from the Tasmanian Economic Regulator showed that Tasmanian businesses were paying more for power than their Victorian counterparts.
“They pay more because of your broken promise and refusal to cap power prices,” she said.
Treasurer Michael Ferguson encouraged Victorian businesses to move south on Wednesday, citing lower taxes and a nation-leading economy.
It follows a new Covid-levy, payroll tax and Workcover premium increases in Tuesday’s Victorian budget.
Mr Rockliff said Tasmanians understood that the government was one that had “supported them through thick and thin”.
He said Labor had shown a “lack of understanding on energy prices once again” and had conflated “general use tariffs with time of use tariffs”.
An eventful Day 2 of state parliament
That's the end of today's live blog for Day 2 of Tasmanian state parliament. Keep an eye on the website for updates as they unfold and pick up tomorrow's newspaper for full coverage of the day in politics.
Innovative way government can help housing affordability
The state government will start renting properties on the private market in a further bid to address the ballooning public housing waiting list.
Thursday’s state budget will include $1.5m for the trial affordable rentals initiative.
Housing Minister Guy Barnett said the trial would allow Homes Tasmania to source private rentals at market rates and provide them to eligible low-income Tasmanians at a reduced rent.
“Housing is a top priority, building more homes faster is a top priority for our government. But also dealing with the here and now. In affordable housing it’s been tough…We need to be innovative. We need to be flexible when it comes to providing more affordable housing to Tasmanians as well as building more homes faster,” Mr Barnett said."
Labor leader takes poll lead
Labor leader Rebecca White has overtaken Jeremy Rockliff as the preferred premier of Tasmania in the latest EMRS opinion poll.
Ms White was the choice of 40 per cent of voters, Mr Rockliff of 38 per cent in the poll taken after the defection of two Liberal MPs to sit as independents.
Ms White has closed a gap of 39 percentage points held by former Premier Peter Gutwein in February 2021 to take the lead.
The Liberals have also taken a big hit in their popularity, dropping eight percentage points since February to be the preferred party of 36 per cent of voters.
Labor was the first preference of 31 per cent of those surveyed, up one point and the Greens were up from 13 per cent to 15 per cent from the February survey.
The Liberals have dropped 16 points from the 52 per cent support they enjoyed in February 2021, while Labor is up four points from 27.
The vote for independents was recorded as being 18 per cent – a significant rise from the seven per cent in the February 2021 poll.
EMRS Managing Director Paul Jamrozik said the result sent a mixed message.
“After a long period of our polling results remaining steady, this is the first time since December 2021 where voter support for the Liberal Government has shown a decisive fall. However, this has not translated into notable rises in support levels for the other main parties," he said.
“In looking at the latest results, it should be noted that EMRS conducted the May poll shortly after two members of the State Government had resigned to stand as independents in protest over its stance on the new Hobart AFL stadium, with the Liberals consequently being forced into minority government.
“Our polling indicates that the proposed AFL stadium is currently a key issue of concern for Tasmanians and that the political ramifications of this will continue to be played out over the coming months.”
The telephone survey of 1000 people around the state was taken between May 15 and 19 and has a margin of error of 3.1 per cent.
Government loses first vote in minority
The Liberal government has lost its first vote on the floor of the House of Assembly on just its second day of parliamentary sittings of minority government.
Labor, the Greens and the three independents combined to defeat the government 14-10 on an amendement seeking to put a time limit to questions on notice.
It is the first time Liberal defectors Lara Alexander and John Tucker have crossed the floor since sensationally quitting the party.
Labor's Dean Winter said it was a significant moment.
"I think that was an important vote for transparency," he said.
"It's a small amdendment, but one that will be substantial.
"What we've seen is the government lose its first vote and what we've seen is the parliament forcing the government to be more transparent that it has been in many, many, many, years."
"Long live balance of power parliaments," Greens leader Cassy O'Connor said.
Deputy Premier Michael Ferguson said the government "wasn't bothered" by the amendment.
Salmon question sparks Premier's ire
Greens MP Rosalie Woodruff has tackled the government over their support for the salmon industry.
She referred to today's Mercury front page story about industry claims of over-regulation.
"You're a corporate pushover and everyone knows it,' Dr Woodruff told Premier Jeremy Rockliff.
"You folded to Gill McLachlan and now the Brazilian butchers, jailed for industrial-scale corruption, are lining up to get everything their family wants."
"At your cosy Liberal Party donor dinner last year you promised JBS and [Tassal owners] Cooke you would do everything global salmon wanted, even though he said it wouldn't be popular.
"Premier are you going to roll over and sell out our marine environment just like you've sold out people who are desperate for a home?"
Huon Aquaculture's parent company JBS paid a $US4.5bln fine and two executives were jailed in 2017 after admitting to bribing hundreds of Brazilian politicians.
Mr Rockliff was not impressed.
"I reject that question. That question is an insult," he said.
"We will making decisions for the best interests of all Tasmanians.
"We will always continue to value our resource-based sector here unashamedly, whether that be salmon, whether that be forestry, whether that be farmers and fishers or indeed our miners.
"We will not listen to your rubbish."
Independent MP Lara Alexander has asked the government what's going on with the $3.45m redevelopment of a swimming pool in her electorate.
She says the government committed an initial $1.5m to the Glen Dhu pool project and added $1.95m in the 2021/22 budget.
"Where are we at with this project?" Mrs Alexander asked.
"When is it going to be opened and what is the final cost?
Minister for Education, Children and Youth Roger Jaensch gave an answer about how important education was for the future "health, life expectancy and happiness".
He said he's keen to talk more about the government's capital works program in the future.
Ms Alexander's crossbench colleague John Tucker asked what sounded a lot like a Dorothy Dixer to Resources Minister Felix Ellis, giving the government a free kick on forestry.
‘More to come’ from Spirits inquiry as Labor blasts GBE boss bonuses
Generous bonuses paid to the leaders of Tasmanian GBEs responsible for the stalled Spirit of Tasmania project did not pass the pub test, the state’s shadow treasurer has claimed.
Seaweed biotech company crowned Tassie’s top performer
They export to countries as far-flung as Malaysia, Germany and the US – and now a Tasmanian company has received a prestigious honour.